Downturn killed the video game
A GUTTED store and a staff-made sign with the simple but poignant message "GAME OVER" was all that remained of Grafton Shoppingworld's once-busy videogame shop GAME yesterday afternoon.
The videogame retailer was closed for good over the weekend, leaving its four employees now facing an uncertain future and the unenviable task of finding new jobs.
GAME Australia followed its UK parent company into administration earlier this month due to financial woes brought on in part by a general downturn in the videogame retail sector.
While administrators from the firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) are looking at ways to save the company's Australian chain from total annihilation, it announced last week 60 of GAME Australia's 92 stores would have to close, leaving close to 300 employees without jobs.
Unfortunately the Grafton store was one of those on the chopping block and closed its doors for the last time on Saturday afternoon.
PwC partner Kate Warwick said after reviewing the financial performance and profitability of the Grafton store the situation left the administrators no choice but to shut it.
"This is a difficult time for employees and closing the stores was not a decision we made easily," Ms Warwick said.
Yesterday staff members from the Grafton shop were kept busy with the grim task of packing up and gutting their own store.
Although they were unable to comment on the closure, they said it was an incredibly sad time for their small, dedicated team.
They said they feared it would be difficult to find new jobs.
Ms Warwick said PwC was working with the Federal Government to ensure the Grafton GAME employees received assistance through the federal General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme (GEERS).
